In an interview Sunday with NBC, Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said he does not think a Muslim person should ever serve as president: “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.”

Asked whether he believes if Islam is consistent with the Constitution, Carson said, “No... I don’t, I do not.”

Hmm, well:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

A spokesman for the United States’ largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticized Carson’s comments. “To me this really means he is not qualified to be president of the United States,” Ibrahim Hooper told the Associated Press. “You cannot hold these kinds of views and at the same time say you will represent all Americans, of all faiths and backgrounds.”

Carson did say he would be more open to voting for a Muslim Congressional candidate. “Congress is a different story, but it depends on who that Muslim is and what their policies are,” he said, “just as it depends on what anybody else says, you know.” Haha, right.

Photo credit: AP Images. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.